Free Traffic Legal Advice

Hello,
I'm writing to seek your advice regarding a parking charge notice I've received, as I believe there may be grounds to challenge it.
I received a "Reminder Before Further Action" notice dated 28 July 2025 for £100 from Civil Enforcement. According to this notice, the original PCN was supposedly issued on 11 July 2025, but I am certain I never received the initial notice. The first correspondence I received was this reminder on 28 July.

The details are as follows:
• Location: Wandon Road, London, SW6 2JQ
• Date of incident: 6 July 2025

• Alleged breach: "Failed to obtain a permit in accordance with the notified terms"
My concerns are that,  I never received the initial PCN dated 11 July 2025, yet they've proceeded directly to the reminder stage. I realise this may not hold water. But two other issues plaugue me:

1. Lack of evidence provided: The notice contains no photographic evidence, no link to view recorded footage, and no details about the specific parking restrictions or signage in the area.

2. Unclear signage: From my recollection, any parking signs in that location were not clearly visible or adequately informative about permit requirements – and certainly not at tnight when this incident supposedly occurred.

The notice threatens debt recovery action and court proceedings if not paid within 14 days of the reminder date. Given that I believe I have valid grounds to challenge this, I'd appreciate your advice on:

• Whether the non-receipt of the original notice affects their ability to pursue this
• The significance of their failure to provide supporting evidence
• The best approach for challenging this PCN
• Whether I should pay under protest or refuse payment entirely

I have 28 days from the original PCN issue date to appeal (which would be 8 August 2025), so time may be running short if we decide to challenge it.
Would you be able to advise me on the strongest grounds for appeal and the best way forward?
Thank you for your time, and I look forward to hearing from you.

Best regards,

@LemonTootski, this is not your first PCN where you did not receive the initial Notice to Keeper (NtK). Why do you keep using private land to park without checking for any terms and conditions?

How are you getting on with your Group Nexus claim?

As for the location, this GSV image is from August last year and at that time it very clearly had an entrance sign warning drivers that it is private land for the use by permit holders only.



Most CEL NtKs are PoFA compliant unless it did not comply with PoFA paragraph 9(2)(a) as it is likely that they did not include a "period of parking", in which case the Keeper cannot be liable, only the driver, who is unknown to them unless the Keeper blabs it to them, inadvertently or otherwise.

As it is CEL, they are quite likely to try and take this to court themselves, although they do occasionally use the inept DCB Legal to do it for them.

I suggest you send a formal complaint to CEL about their failure to issue an initial NtK. Demand strict proof that they did actually send it and they just also provide you with a copy of the original NtK. Once we get to see that, we will be in a better position to advise on if or how to fight this.

Remember, you are doing all this only as the known Keeper. They have no idea who the driver is and you are under no legal obligation to provide the drivers details. Always refer to the driver in the third person. No " I did this or that", only "the driver did this or that".

You will need a copy of the original PPN.

Thanks all !

I have served this:

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to formally complain about your failure to issue an initial Notice to Keeper (NtK) in relation to the above parking charge notice dated 11/07/2025 for an alleged incident on 06/07/2025 at Wandon Road, London, SW6 2JQ.

Complaint Details:
1.   I have received what appears to be a "Reminder Before Further Action" notice dated 28/07/2025, demanding £100, without having received any initial Notice to Keeper.
2.   As the registered keeper of vehicle registration in question, I am entitled to receive proper notification in accordance with the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 (PoFA) and the Private Parking Services Code of Practice (PPSCoP).

Formal Demands:
1.   Strict Proof of Posting: I demand strict proof that you actually sent an initial Notice to Keeper to the registered keeper's address as held by DVLA. This must include:
o   Evidence of when the initial NtK was created
o   Evidence of when it was posted
o   Proof of the address it was sent to
o   Copy of the postal dispatch records

2.   Copy of Original NtK: Provide me with an exact copy of the original Notice to Keeper that you claim to have sent, showing all details as they appeared on the original document.
3.   PPSCoP Compliance: Under Private Parking Services Code of Practice Section 8.1.2(e) Note 2, operators must be able to demonstrate that notices have been properly served. Please provide evidence of your compliance with this requirement.
Legal Position:
•   Without proper service of an initial NtK, any subsequent enforcement action may be invalid
•   The PoFA framework requires specific procedures to be followed for keeper liability to be established
•   Your failure to provide the initial notice at the discounted rate may constitute unfair treatment
I reserve all rights in this matter and expect a full response within 14 days of receipt of this letter. Failure to provide the requested evidence and documentation will be taken as an admission that no valid initial NtK was sent.
I note that I am responding in my capacity as the registered keeper only. The identity of the driver on the date in question is not known to me, and I am under no legal obligation to provide driver details.
I look forward to your prompt response with the requested documentation.

Yours faithfully,


Let's here what  ̶i̶n̶CEL have to say.

I'll keep you posted.

Best

Tootski